


Love Me, Hate Me

by Achamo



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Angst, a bit of one-sided honorin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 14:46:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6911461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achamo/pseuds/Achamo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin had heard of the Hedgehog's Dilemma, but she'd underestimated how messy emotions can be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where Did We Begin?

**Author's Note:**

> Is this a tragedy? Don't ask me, because I don't know if there's a happy ending for our nine. But be prepared for the trappings of one, anyway - a tragic hero, a fall from grace.

The three girls had been looking forward to this weekend for months - in fact, they had planned it originally for the month prior, but those plans fell through on Maki's end due to a scheduling conflict. It was precisely because Maki was so busy that this date was so special - it was the first time since last year that the three first years had been able to go out together. Rin and Hanayo, being the happy couple that they were, of course made time for each other, but Maki was always, always busy. It was a miracle that the three had met at all, Rin thought.

They had plans! A meetup at Hanayo's house the first day, a trip to the mall and back to Rin's the next. Maki was once again packed starting that Monday, so this weekend would count.

While Rin sat excitedly on Hanayo's floor, thinking about all this, Hanayo was making tea in the other room. A good housewife! Rin felt bad about not having the skill in the kitchen to help out, but she knew Hanayo was happy to. What a good girlfriend. When they were married, as Hanayo had once promised Rin would one day happen, she felt that she was in good hands.

Oh, Rin loved Hanayo. That was all she knew to be true, and the guiding force in her life. She was sure that if Hanayo were gone, her life would have no meaning. You could say Hanayo was her everything. She'd been told that that was an unhealthy mindset, but those who told her that had never seen anyone like Rin and Hanayo, she was sure.

Something soft brushing against her head lifted Rin out of her reverie and into the reality of Hanayo standing over her with the tea. "It's done!" she said sweetly.

Rin startled Hanayo into a gasp and nearly knocked the tray out of her hands with a leaping hug, an affectionate nuzzle. "Ehh, what's this?!"

"I love you, Kayo-chin!" At Rin's words, Hanayo's face melted into a gentle smile that made warmth spread through Rin's heart. Surely, this was the best feeling ever - to make someone you love genuinely smile. Rin vowed to do it more often.

A knock at the door tore Hanayo from Rin's greedy arms and Rin from the sugary-sweet moment she'd been savoring. Maki's red hair peeked in through the small window next to the door. Rin hid behind Hanayo's larger frame with intent to... strike!

Maki screamed, the door was swung wide open, Hanayo gasped. A thoroughly perturbed Maki pried a giggling Rin off her body with some difficulty. "Nice to see you too, you jerk."

Rin proudly picked herself up. "Maki is the same as ever, nya!" A spin, a hop into the living room, Hanayo in tow and Maki following behind, dusting herself off. "There's tea! Oh, and there's games! Kayo-chin, Kayo-chin, do you remember when we played that card game with the weird faces with Honoka and Yukiho? We should play that, it'll be fun!" A pensive pause. "...Or maybe that was only fun because Honoka was there?"

"You calling me boring?" teased Maki. She hung her nice coat up on the nice coat rack - Maki and Kayo-chin are both so neat, thought Rin. "I'll have you know, I'm here to have a good time. I won't lose to the likes of you."

"Then I won't lose either, nya!"

A partnered game with three players. It would have to be two-on-one. Poor Hanayo was overpowered when Maki's skill and careful thought met Rin's pure determination. In an attempt to make the game more fair, Rin tried pairing with Hanayo and subsequently crushed Maki with their superior teamwork - "This isn't a fair match," complained Maki. In a last ditch, the losers combined forces.

Of course, Rin didn't stand a chance.


	2. Happy Lies

The girls lay on the couch, at this point just lounging around, showing each other cute or funny pictures on their cell phones. Maki was getting a little tired of cat memes.

"But look at this one, nya! This one is really good, I swear!" It was a small cat with a smug expression, apparently being threatened with a knife to the throat. Rin was giggling. Hanayo smiled graciously.

In an aside to Maki - "You get used to it, being around her all the time."

Rin put on an air of mock offense. "These are good! You have no taste in cat pictures!" A little jingle played out of her cell then, appearing with a notification that she'd gotten a message from Honoka. She opened it in anticipation.

[3/26/16, 4:36 PM]  
honk: heyyyy you free tomorrow? :D

"What was that?" Hanayo inquired.

"It's Honoka! She wants to know if we can get together tomorrow, it's too bad we three were already-"

"Don't tell her," pleaded Hanayo.

"...What? Why not, nya?"

"...She doesn't know. That Maki was free this weekend."

A piece of a memory floated to mind; from when, exactly, Rin couldn't place, but it was months ago, surely. An evening when all four had been peacefully talking, or so Rin had thought. What started it, again?

[??/??/15, 10:?? PM]  
[Group chat: Hanayo✿, honk, Rinnyan, Maki]  
Hanayo✿: i told you, those posts weren't about you  
honk: and you expect me to believe that?  
honk: im tired of all the god damn lies  
Rinnyan: stop! stop yelling!  
Hanayo✿: i'll just give my phone to Umi and let her tell you. you like her better anyway  
Rinnyan: DON'T LEAVE ME  
honk: see youre making your girlfriend upset

Hanayo, her precious girlfriend, and Honoka, her very best friend, had a fallout over... something. Vague posts on a blog? Rin felt torn and panicked.

Later that night, Hanayo asked Rin if she really made everything about herself. Rin had no answer.

Honoka and Hanayo didn't speak for months.

Yes, Hanayo must still feel uncomfortable around her. And if she knew, she'd want to come. She'd want to know why she hadn't been invited.

"...I see, nya!"

[3/26/16, 4:36 PM]  
honk: heyyyy you free tomorrow? :D  
Rinnyan: no, i'm going out with my family for the day!  
honk: that sucks :(

It felt wrong. They were friends. But what would telling the truth accomplish? Push her and Hanayo apart? Make Honoka feel bad, maybe pick another fight over it? Rin would carry the burden of a happy lie for the sake of harmony, make herself a martyr for peace. Noble, she thought. In any case, there was no reversing the rift between the two. It was over and done.

"Maki, watch this video with me, nya! It's funny!"

"As funny as your cat pics, I bet."

A catlike smile played on Rin's lips. They could have fun, just the three of them. Who needs Honoka?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noble, isn't it?


End file.
